Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to snap hook connectors for use in linking rope, cable, chain, or other lines one to another or to other components of a system and more particularly to snap hook connectors having a spring biased latching mechanism wherein such latching mechanism is locked against unintentional opening and thereby inadvertent release of the linkage.
There is a great variety of available snap hooks with spring biased latching for connecting lines to receiving connectors, devices or other lines. In particular, where attachment of a line to a connector, device or other line is important in, for example, personal fall protection equipment, it is desirable to have a snap hook connector which is capable of easy actuation for engagement and disengagement while providing a secure latching and locking function. This is necessary to prevent inadvertent opening (unlatching) of the latch and possible disengagement from whatever object to which the snap has been attached. Conventional snaps have typically used latches which are spring biased in the latched position with an inverted U-shaped latching member or gate that is pivoted at one end about a pin or axis received through the body of the snap and is urged by arcuate movement into latched engagement by a spring bearing on the body of the snap and the top of the inside of the U-shaped member. The physical shape of the tip or nose of the hook body engaging the tongue of the U-shaped member and the member itself are generally preselected to cooperate with each other to prevent lateral forces from disengaging the gate from the closed (latched) condition. Such devices have generally been used with great success, however some conditions are encountered in use where the spring biased latching member or gate can be inadvertently depressed so as to disengage the aforementioned latching relationship and even depress the spring biased latching member sufficiently to permit the line or connector or other object to which the snap is attached to slip free from the snap under some circumstances. This can defeat the latching function of the snap and produce undesirable results depending on the application.
It is therefore an objective of the present invention to provide a snap with a latching function of the previously employed U-shaped member with one or more additional locking mechanisms that avoids the problems of inadvertent opening of the spring biased latching mechanism previously widely used.
In addition it is an objective of the present invention to provide a spring biased latching member that in concert with one or more additional locking mechanism provides the desirable feature of one-handed operation, with either thumb or finger actuation.